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“I followed Belov through the Pine Forest in the Seolwon.”

After walking about 5 li, I discovered Belov entering a dark temple. The temple’s shape was almost identical to the Great Temple I had seen in Astana, just different in size.

As Belov entered the temple, he approached the altar in the center and stood on top of it.

“Come here.”

When I stood on the altar following Belov, a blue orb began to rise from beneath my feet. Moments later, a blue radiance engulfed the surroundings, and I realized we had been transported to a different location.

The scenery was still reminiscent of the temple, but subtly different. We had been teleported. Curious, Belov spoke up.

“Before we head to the base, there’s something I want to ask.”

“What is it?”

“What’s your goal? Did you come to this country just to gain knowledge?”

I answered without hesitation.

“We came seeking knowledge to reach the North Pole. Maps, information, and so on.”

“The North Pole? Why there?”

“There’s no reason to explain that.”

“I see…”

“But what do you mean by ‘you’?”

Belov responded.

“I know that your necklace is actually a transformation spell.”

“……”

Then, Miho dropped her transformation and revealed her human form. Looking stunning, she seemed displeased.

“You cheeky old man. Were you pretending not to know?”

“No, it was merely consideration.”

“Hmph…”

I calmed Miho down and said to Belov, “Now that I’ve shared our circumstances, you should explain what’s happening. We need to know if we will need help.”

“Fair enough. I should explain the situation before we reach the base anyway.”

Belov walked toward a chair in the temple and sat down. When Miho and I sat across from him, he began to share.

“The events began three years ago. The madness of Tsar Ivan IV became a disaster at that time.”

“Ordinary people wouldn’t behave like that just because of madness.”

“True. However, Ivan IV had stopped being an ordinary human by that point.”

“What do you mean?”

Belov sighed.

“Earlier, I said the power I sensed from Ivan IV is not that of magic, right? That was accurate because he had become obsessed with curing his illness and reached for divine power.”

“Divine? You mentioned that before. What does that mean?”

“As explained, Theosis refers to a state where a human approaches divine perfection, a term used by the Eastern Orthodox Church.”

“……”

“Ivan IV can now be considered a demigod.”

Demigod! This suggested he existed on the boundary between human and divine. Indeed, without such a level of strength, I wouldn’t have been able to describe the power I felt from Ivan IV in Moscow. Realizing he was laying groundwork for a grand tale, I interjected.

“Ivan IV didn’t just become that way without warning. Explain how he became a demigod.”

“Alright.”

After a brief pause, Belov continued.

“He was originally addicted to mercury. Much like the Ming Emperor, he aspired for longevity and foolishly relied on alchemy, putting his life in peril. Thus, Ivan IV reached out to our Eastern Orthodox Church to cure his mercury poisoning and complications.”

“Mercury poisoning? Alchemy?”

As I tilted my head in confusion, Belov smirked.

“You don’t know much about alchemy, do you? There are plenty of scams in alchemical practices aimed at extending life, and many end up suffering harm through reckless use of mercury.”

I crossed my arms, pondering as I responded, “But the alchemist I met was quite formidable.”

“What do you mean?”

I shared with Belov about the alchemist I encountered in the Ming Dynasty’s imperial palace, who was plotting schemes with terrifying techniques. Upon hearing this, Belov spoke gravely.

“So, he possesses the Crystal Stele… He’s undoubtedly a genuine alchemist. Turning such a person into an enemy must have been quite the ordeal.”

“Anyway, continue with the rest of the story.”

“The method used by the Eastern Orthodox Church to heal Ivan IV’s mercury poisoning involved harnessing the power of sacred icons. If the power of the icon continuously blesses him, it could restore his lifespan to normal.”

Upon hearing the term ‘sacred icon’, I remembered and asked back, “By ‘sacred icon’, are you referring to the golden leaf?”

“It looks like this.”

Swish!

Belov pulled out a small statue depicting a woman from his robe. It seemed to be the object that had blessed me with the golden leaf. I could feel a significant amount of spirit power radiating from it.

“This is something commonly carried by monks. It’s the source of their techniques. It allows one to hone their faith and perform miracles. The healing effects of the sacred icon must have greatly improved the symptoms of Ivan IV’s poisoning.”

Belov sighed.

“… Until that existence appeared in the imperial palace and beguiled Ivan IV.”

“That existence?”

“Three years ago, an unknown entity suddenly appeared, beguiling Ivan IV, expelling the Eastern Orthodox monks, and granting him wicked wisdom. As a result, Ivan IV unexpectedly gained the power of theosis and ascended to a demigod level, while the people in Moscow seem to have been kidnapped and trapped in the Void Space.”

“Hmm…”

So, the vast city was emptied of all its inhabitants for that reason.

Common people must be trapped in that ‘Void Space’.

“My comrades and I are relying on Fyodor, Ivan IV’s son, while we keep watch over the hellish Moscow. Meanwhile, you triggered the detection barrier when you exited the ancient library in the Kremlin Palace.”

From Belov’s words, I grasped the situation.

‘ In other words, while trying to cure the king’s severe illness, a mysterious entity intruded and turned him into a demigod.’

But it felt too abrupt and lacked coherence. It was one thing to have an unknown entity intrude, but how did Ivan IV reach the demigod level? Miho, sensing something amiss, crossed her arms and asked.

“I don’t get it. Before anything, explain what this theosis level is and how one can attain it.”

“Hmm… Theosis is originally a holy blessing bestowed by the Holy Spirit. Reaching ultimate states requires one to empty their mind (kenosis), unite (henosis), and attain that state through rigorous ascetic practices at life’s end.”

“To put it simply, it means shedding human flesh and becoming a spirit.”

I was taken aback and replied, “Are you saying humans can turn into spirits? Does that mean achieving transcendence?”

The state I knew that resembled Belov’s explanation was indeed transcendence. Shedding the flesh and becoming a divine being—there were remarkable similarities. Considering that immortals are often viewed as divine beings, it made more sense.

“I’ve never experienced either divine ascendance or transcendence, so I can’t answer your question. However, if a person reaches this ultimate state, they eventually become an ethereal body (spirit). So, one could say it is somewhat analogous.”

I shook my head.

“It’s strange. A tyrant suffering from severe illness achieves a state that even an ascetic might struggle to reach in their lifetime?”

“Strange, but that’s reality.”

Miho’s eyes glinted sharply as she remarked, “That existence inside the imperial palace must have awakened him. Who exactly is that being?”

“He claimed to be an Apostle. A bearer of immense magical power.”

“Apostle?”

“We aren’t sure about the true identity of the Apostle. However, even the Archbishop and powerful Eastern Monks couldn’t handle his magic, leading them to ultimately flee from Moscow.”

Miho seemed puzzled, but upon hearing that, I immediately thought of something.

Demon King Daji!

The Apostle of an ancient god!

The terrifying being that had decimated my allies during my last life in the fourteenth cycle was declared as the Apostle of the ‘Old Ruler.’ It was a recent encounter and so vivid in my memory that it had stuck with me. Had Xiang Yu not intervened, the remaining members would have faced a miserable end.

‘So, the being currently inside the Kremlin Palace is comparable to Demon King Daji?’

Chills ran down my spine! The power of Demon King Daji was on a different level altogether, and fighting a foe of that caliber was beyond my capabilities. I fought to suppress my fear while rapidly processing the situation.

‘Apostles acting on the direct orders of the Old Ruler are typically of the Demon King level, with followers of Otherworldly Races working underneath them… Now it’s beginning to make sense.’

As I continued to ponder, Belov spoke.

“I believe I’ve shared all the pertinent information. Now it’s time for you to make a choice.”

“What choice do you mean?”

“We’re aiming to reclaim Moscow with the help of King Fyodor. To achieve this, we’re currently gathering information and strength. If you assist us, we’ll fully support your journey to the North Pole.”

It seemed he wanted to establish a deal with us before exposing the base’s location; savvy sorcerer tactics at play.

“That’s quite an ask! We’ve already gathered sufficient information.”

I shot back. Then Belov countered.

“So you plan to just gather information and leave? That’s quite shameless.”

“The information you just mentioned isn’t exactly critical either. We have no way to counter that mythical creature, so there’s no reason for us to take risks.”

Belov hesitated before saying, “We do have a method to deal with Ivan IV. If you join us, I can teach you.”

“That doesn’t benefit us.”

“Benefit, you say? How about this?”

Belov continued.

“If you assist us in subduing Ivan IV and succeed, I am willing to give you our greatest sacred relic.”

“Sacred relic?”

“In the Ming, they call it a treasure, right? It’s on the same level.”

I shot a glance at Miho, who seemed to have sensed something from my expression. She sent a silent message my way.

[Are you thinking of joining them?]

[Yeah. We need to gather information first.]

[The enemy seems extremely powerful, it may not even be worth it. You might risk your life.]

I sighed inwardly. Miho always prioritized saving my life, which often led to disagreements when it came to decisions. There were many instances where I wanted to know something, but Miho advised against it.

However, at the same time, leaving her in the dark felt unconscionable.

I decided to persuade Miho.

[Miho, if it looks risky, I’ll flee using the Golden Lamp. Trust me.]

[You trust me? You’ve died more than 14 times up to now.]

[Ugh… I can’t argue with that, but this time will be different. Because…]

As I explained my reasoning, Miho’s expression softened. After mulling it over, she replied.

[… If it gets dangerous, running away is a must. Understand?]

[Got it.]

Once we reached a consensus, I turned back to Belov.

“I accept your proposal.”

Even if the journey to the North Pole would be delayed, gaining any form of advantage or information here was worth it. It could grant me an additional edge in the next reincarnation.

“Wise choice.”

We followed Belov out of the temple. After walking about 10 li, a small village came into view—far different from the Central Plains’ villages, possessing a distinct architectural style unique to the Arasa Empire.

“We operate from this village. Most of the Eastern Orthodox monks gather here.”

Belov headed toward a building at the center of the village.

Upon entering the building, around ten ‘monks’ dressed like Belov were waiting. The moment they saw him, they promptly paid their respects, indicating that Belov held a considerable rank.

‘Was it the Archbishop seat they mentioned…?’

I wasn’t sure what rank it was, but it was likely a high position in the Eastern Orthodox Church. After receiving the monks’ greetings, Belov spoke to them in the Arasa language, and they glanced at us with understanding.

Moments later, Belov said, “Let me introduce you to a comrade who shares our vision.”

Clang!

A hulking man clad in iron armor stepped out from inside the building. His primary weapon appeared to be a polearm fashioned into an axe. An impressive aura radiated from him, indicating he was indeed an expert.

‘Why is he wearing such heavy armor?’

Seeing the man caused me to raise my eyebrow in confusion. Martial artists typically relied on agility, so they seldom wore heavy armaments. Besides, given their formidable strength, armor usually turned cumbersome as its level increased.

The armored man laughed heartily and shouted at me. He seemed to be observing me closely.

“&$%@*$(@(…!!”

Of course, I couldn’t understand the Arasa language fluently, but once Belov cast some magic, the words finally became clear.

“Ha ha! A traveler from the Ming Dynasty? Quite a pretty one!”

“……”

“If you come to my bed tonight, I’ll treat you well.”

I was taken aback, realizing I had never received such a gaze from a man before, translating my emotions into a mixture of anger and embarrassment that made me tremble.

At the same time, it struck me how ambiguous my appearance must have looked. In fact, I noticed several monks nearby, some of whom seemed to be aroused by my looks.

Perhaps they were definitely feeling lust.

Miho, sensing my discomfort, erupted in laughter.

[Kya ha ha! You’re quite the popular one.]

“Ahhhhh!!”

Gritting my teeth, I charged at the armored man and unleashed a punch filled with irritation, powerful enough to obliterate an ordinary human’s torso.

Boom!

“Aaaaahhh…”

The armored man screamed as he flew through the wall and landed twenty paces away. He had hurriedly defended himself with a steel shield, but it crumpled like paper as he soared through the air.

Thud!

Dust settled. I unleashed a Lion’s Roar filled with rage.

“Lower your eyes, you bastards!!”

The earth-shattering sound sent the monks surrounding me crashing to the ground in fear. Their mental strength couldn’t withstand my powerful Lion’s Roar infused with internal energy. Only Belov managed to remain calm, taking a deep sigh.

“I’ve heard that Sir Karl has a brash personality and has offended you. I shall apologize on his behalf.”

“That guy’s name is Karl?”

“Believe it or not, he’s known for his bravery among our ranks, yet you’ve reduced him to a pulp.”

“I’m thankful I didn’t kill him.”

My anger began to subside. Following Belov, I entered deeper into the room. Miho, who was beside me, giggled and sent me another thought.

[Looks like Western knights are nothing special, huh?]

[Not sure.]

[So humble.]

I resolved to keep my mouth shut from that point on.

That Karl guy had used his qi to enhance his shield’s defenses. It also seemed he could channel qi into his armor. That was why he had managed to survive when my strike should have shattered three stones.

Engaging in combat with such techniques could effectively maximize the advantages of armored combat while efficiently blocking enemy attacks. It appeared he held considerable strength in comparison to the martial artists from the Central Plains.

In other words, when it came to pure defense, they were formidable!

Should such warriors fight in unison, even seasoned martial arts experts would certainly struggle against them. Unless one was an absolute expert or possessed overwhelming internal energy like myself, facing such foes would undoubtedly prove challenging. It was a prime example of how strength could be secured without needed physical prowess.

‘This could be fun.’

Perhaps I could also enhance my combat prowess using armor or shields?

If that were possible, this operation wouldn’t be in vain either.

 

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